Evaluating the utility of an accelerometer and urinary hormone analysis as indicators of estrus in a Zoo-housed koala (Phascolarctos cinereus)
Abstract 10.1002/zoo.20212.abs Induced ovulators, such as the koala, do not always have overt signs of estrus, which makes pairing these animals for breeding purposes difficult to achieve in a zoo setting. This study examined the possibility of using alternative methods to behavioral sampling and weight fluctuations for monitoring estrus in a female koala of reproductive […]
Longitudinal monitoring of fecal testosterone in male Malayan Sun bears (U. malayanus)
Abstract 10.1002/zoo.20061.abs Fecal steroid monitoring was applied as a non-invasive method to investigate testicular cycles and seasonality in the Malayan Sun bear (Ursus malayanus), an endangered ursid from South East Asia. Fecal testosterone was analyzed by radioimmunoassay in samples collected from male Sun bears (n=8) housed in zoological parks in North America and New Zealand, […]
Analysis of urinary immunoreactive steroid metabolites and gonadotropins for characterization of the estrous cycle, breeding period, and seasonal estrous activity of captive killer whales (Orcinus orca)
Abstract 10.1002/zoo.1430120204.abs To increase the basic understanding of killer whale (Orcinus orca) reproductive physiology necessary for the development of artificial breeding programs, we utilized radioimmunoassays (RIA) to detect urinary immunoreactive steroid metabolites (pregnanediol-3α-glucuronide [PdG] and estrone-conjugates [EC]) and gonadotropins (luteinizing hormone [LH] and follicle-stimulating hormone [FSH]) in urine samples from six female killer whales. Urine […]
A review of the reproductive physiology of rhinoceros species in captivity
Substantial progress in understanding the reproductive physiology of the four rhinoceros species in captivity, White rhinoceros Ceratotherium simum, Black rhinoceros Diceros bicornis, Indian or Greater one-horned rhinoceros Rhinoceros unicornis and Suma-tran rhinoceros Dicerorhinus sumatrensis, has been achieved over the last two decades largely owing to advances in endocrine and ultrasound techniques, and improved methods of […]